What is a stroke? Stroke, also known as stroke or cerebrovascular accident, is a group of cerebrovascular diseases with an acute onset and focal or diffuse brain loss as a common feature. It is the most common neurological disorder.
Risk factors for the occurrence of stroke.
Non-intervenable risk factors: age, sex, family history, race, climate.
Interventional risk factors: hypertension, smoking, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, hyperlipidemia, cerebral blood supply artery stenosis, obesity, alcoholism, hyperhomocysteinemia, abnormal blood rheology, sedentary lifestyle.
The danger of stroke: Information released by the Ministry of Health in 2008 showed that cerebrovascular disease is the number one cause of death and disability in China. Therefore, active prevention and standardized treatment are very important.
Early recognition of stroke
There are 5 main warning signs common to stroke.
(1) Weakness, numbness or paralysis on one or both sides of the body, upper limbs, lower limbs or face.
(2) Sudden blurring of vision in one or both eyes, or loss of vision, or seeing in pairs.
(3) Difficulty in verbal expression or comprehension.
(4) Dizziness, loss of balance, or any accidental fall, or unsteady gait.
(5) Headache (usually severe and sudden) or unexpected change in headache pattern
Principles of pre-hospital management
1 Call the emergency number 120 (patient’s family or bystanders) immediately according to the patient’s symptoms.
2 Prohibit turning the patient’s head back and forth, loosen the patient’s clothing and pants, and lay flat on the pillow (patient’s family or bystanders).
3 Family members and bystanders should accompany the patient to the hospital.
4 Give saline (EMT) as the first fluid for patients suspected of having a stroke.
5 If available, give cerebral protection treatment from the time of suspected stroke.
Correct transfer: Once a stroke is suspected, transfer the patient to the nearest hospital or stroke center as quickly and safely as possible to minimise delay.
Stroke prevention
Primary prevention is the prevention or delay of stroke in people who have not had a stroke. It is the intervention and treatment of various risk factors such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, various heart diseases, smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, etc. to prevent or delay the onset of stroke. Specifically, this includes the following.
Knowing your blood pressure
Knowing if you have atrial fibrillation
If you smoke, give it up
If you drink alcohol, keep it moderate
Knowing if you have high cholesterol
If you are diabetic, follow your doctor’s advice carefully and control your blood sugar
Participate regularly in the physical activities you enjoy in your daily life
Enjoy a low-salt, low-fat diet
Ask your doctor if you have a circulatory disorder that can increase your risk of stroke
If you have any stroke symptoms, seek immediate medical attention.
Secondary prevention: This is the prevention of a recurrence of stroke after one or more cerebrovascular accidents. It is very important to identify and treat the important causes and risk factors for stroke after it has occurred.
The aim of secondary prevention is to prevent or reduce the risk of another stroke, which is most important for all transient ischemic attacks, reversible strokes. Patients who initially have a transient ischemic attack or mini-stroke are at risk for a second stroke, which is likely to occur within two weeks of the initial stroke, especially if the initial stroke is due to an embolus originating from a heart or carotid stenosis. Secondary strokes can lead to severe disability. Therefore, it is imperative to find and treat the cause of the transient ischemic attack or stroke and to prevent a second, more severe stroke, which is especially important in the young stroke population (<50 years).
Elements of stroke treatment that patients and families should know when they are hospitalized
(1) Prehospital treatment is the basis for providing timely stroke care. The importance of treatment immediately after the onset of stroke symptoms should be fully recognized.
(2) Patients with transient ischemic attack are at great risk because they do not realize that transient ischemic attack is the most important risk factor for cerebral infarction. 10% of patients with transient ischemic attack have a stroke within 1 month. Therefore, the importance of transient ischemic attacks should be recognized. Take appropriate medication to prevent recurrence of stroke.
(3) The 5 most important signs of stroke (see previous). If the above signs and symptoms persist for more than 10 minutes, an emergency call should be made immediately or the patient should go to the nearest emergency room immediately.
(4) It is very important to be able to thrombolize a patient promptly in the event of a stroke.
(5) Emphasize that stroke is a medical emergency and that it is important to reach the hospital as early as possible.
(4) Stroke risk factors that can be actively prevented (see previous primary prevention).
(5) Patients with hemiplegia and speech impairment should pay attention to the methods of rehabilitation training and visit medical institutions that can provide rehabilitation services.
”Care for Life, Prevent and Treat Stroke”